Evening all. So we're back after the week-off last week, and Only Connect is back as well! Finally, Monday nights make sense again. Whether or not I cover OC in full blogs this series I still haven't decided yet, but if I do review tonight's ep in full, it probably won't be this week. On with tonight's UC though first...
Jesus College Oxford is the only Oxford college founded during the reign of Elizabeth I, in 1571; alumni include former PM Harold Wilson, former Mastermind host Magnus Magnusson, and journalist Jim Waterson, who represented the college on the show back in the Alex Guttenplan series of 2009-10. It last sent a team to the show in 2014-15, who were narrowly beaten in the first round. This year's foursome were:
Lucy Clarke, from Surrey, studying Early Modern History
James Cashman, from Guildford, studying History
Captain: Matt Cook, from Wellington, New Zealand, studying PPE
Miranda Stevens, from Sevenoaks, studying Biology
Manchester University, founded in its current form in 2004 having been around for over a hundred years in various forms beforehand, is best known on UC for a ten year run of dominance, where they won three times, with a fourth later retroactively awarded, were runners-up once and reached the semis every other series. That run has since ended, though last series, they managed a respectable run to the QFs. This year's quartet were:
Jack Rogers, from Cheshire, studying Maths
Melissa Johnson, from South Africa, studying Economics
Captain: James Green, from the Wirral, studying Modernist Literature
Adam Booth, from West London, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Cashman opened procedings with 'mandate'; bonuses on Alfred Hitchcock films provided the Oxonians with just the one bonus to start with. Mr Green opened Manchester's account with 'Russia', but they could also manage just one of their resulting bonuses. Mr Rogers, as I did, knew the letter 'W' to only appear in the name of one element but be the chemical symbol of another, and a classic UC bonus set on words differing by the addition of a J at the start proved more to their liking, a full set. The first picture round, on graphs showing the finishing place of teams in the Premier League, went to Manchester; just the one bonus followed again though, leaving their lead at 55-15.
And it increased when Mr Green added 'baited breath' for the next starter, but bonuses on cricket didn't add to it. Mr Booth took the next starter, but, again, nothing came from the bonuses. Ms Johnson then made sure all Manchester players had a correct starter to their name, and European history finally gave them some bonuses they knew, a full set taking them to triple figures. Ms Clarke finally awoke Jesus from their slumbers, but they took just the one bonus. At least they were scoring again now though, as Ms Stevens took a second in a row, and this time two bonuses were converted.
The music round, on pop music tracks that sample 'The Streets of Cairo', went to Jesus, who took another pair of bonuses, though one was a bit generous ('They Must Be Giants' was accepted for 'They Might Be Giants'). Jesus had now recovered to 100-70, but Manchester duly reawoke courtesy of Ms Johnson's answer of 'stegosaurus'; bonuses on the work of Robert Harris gave the Mancunians a full house. Five were then lost to a wrong interruption, but Jesus couldn't capitalise. Another starter was dropped, before Mr Cook (the K on whose nameplate I'm pretty sure was upside down!) ensured all eight players had contributed a correct starter to the match; one bonus was taken. Back came Mr Booth for Manchester, and two bonuses put them in command going into the closing straight.
The second picture round, on films whose plots transpose those of Shakespeare plays, went to Manchester, who took a full house, taking their lead to 165-85. And when Mr Green took the next starter, you suspected they might just now be out of reach, even though just the one bonus followed.
Or maybe not, as they then dropped five on the next starter; Ms Stevens picked up the points, and a full bonus set took them into triple figures and onto the play-offs board. Ms Clarke added another to the Oxonians' score, and another full bonus set meant they could still, just about, catch up yet. Neither side took the next starter though, Mr Cook took the next, but when they only took one bonus, that was game over. Just to confirm, Ms Clarke unluckily lost five on a borderline interruption on the final starter, and Manchester took the points. No time for the bonuses; at the gong, Manchester won 185-145.
A good match, well played by two solid teams, well done both teams. Unlucky Jesus, but a fine effort, and hopefully 145 will be enough for the play-offs, so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Manchester though, and best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Green was the best buzzer of the night with four, while Ms Clarke was best for Jesus with three. On the bonuses, Jesus converted 14 out of 24 (with one penalty), while Manchester managed 17 out of 30 (with two penalties), and, as I said earlier, all eight players got at least one starter correct.
Next week's match: Durham vs Trinity College Cambridge
Only Connect's return saw the Darksiders play the Suits; the latter had a steady lead after the first round, and maintained it for the rest of the show, ultimately winning comfortably. (This will probably be how I cover OC here from now on, but we'll see)
Monday, 2 September 2019
Monday, 19 August 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 6: Edinburgh vs Birkbeck
Evening all. An interesting match up tonight, between two institutions whose last appearance on the show saw them win the series; one was just last year however, the other was way back in the red set era! The winners would go through to the second round, while the runners-up would be aiming for 100 or more to get onto the play-off board.
Edinburgh University was founded in 1582, making it the fourth university in Scotland at a time when only Oxford and Cambridge existed down south. Alumni include quite a lot of writers, including AC Doyle, RL Stephenson and JM Barrie, quite a lot of politicians, including former PM Gordon Brown, my Dad and quite a lot of my friends. Last series, of course, they won the series, winning a good contest against St Edmund Hall. This year's foursome were:
Richard Moon, from North London, studying Classics
Adam McLauchlan, from Edinburgh, studying Chemistry
Captain: Emma Williams, from Brighton, studying Linguistics
Isaac Stevens, from Sutton Coldfield, studying German and History
Birkbeck is a college of the University of London specialising in higher education, mainly operating in the evening to allow for students to hold down jobs too. Alumni include the first Labour PM Ramsay McDonald, current Labour bigwig John McDonnell, TS Eliot and hotel stayer Bear Grylls. Having regularly appeared in the early days of the BBC era, tonight's team was its first since its series win in 2002-03; they were:
Rob Anderson, from Geneva, studying Cognition and Computation
Rosemary Barnett, from Buckinghamshire, studying Historical Research
Captain: Nooruddean Janmohamed, from London, studying Medieval History
Ian Kernohan, from County Antrim, studying History of Art and Architecture
Off we set again then, and Mr Moon was first in to start the game with 'The Leaning Tower of Pisa'; the reigning champs took two of their opening bonuses. Mr Anderson opened Birkbeck's account with 'Dip', and they matched Edinburgh's tally with two bonuses on US presidents. The Scots side duly retook the lead with Mr McLauchlan offering 'heartburn', and took just the one bonus on mnemonics (or 'pneumonics' as Paxo called them!). A repeat performance followed as Mr McLauchlan took another starter and another sole bonus followed. The first picture round, on musical notes, went to Edinburgh, who took a pair of bonuses, taking their lead to 70-20.
It increased as Mr Anderson lost five after making the understandable mistake of thinking Elvis Presley was born in Memphis; Edinburgh couldn't capitalise. Edinburgh returned the favour by dropping five on a last millisecond interruption, and Birkbeck did pick up the points this time; bonuses on elements discovered in Switzerland gave them one bonus. I guessed Solihull for the next starter asking after a borough between Birmingham and Coventry; Mr Stevens did so too, and we were both right. Edinburgh duly took a full bonus set on Anglo Saxon kingdoms. Mr Janmohamed kept his side in the game by taking the next starter; bonuses on Irish philosophers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on acts notably critiqued by music critic Ellen Willis, went to Edinburgh, who took one bonus, taking their lead to 105-50. Back came Birkbeck though, with Mr Janmohamed offering 'curlew', and a full set of bonuses on gardening took them right back into procedings. Mr Moon duly increased Edinburgh's lead though with 'willow', but a bonus set on the 1956 Olympics didn't give the Scots side any further points. Poetry about railways proved more to their liking on their next set, just the one bonus, and another saw them mistake their alumnus RL Stephenson for WT McGonagall, something Paxo suggested the former's aficionados might not find very funny!
The second picture starter, on allegorical paintings depicting the three stages of life, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, which took their lead to 150-75. Birkbeck would need to run the show from now on to stand a chance of catching up; Mr Kernohan duly came in with 'Simon Sebag Montefiore', and two bonuses just about kept them in the game.
But when Mr Kernohan duly got beaten by a swerve on the next question and lost five, that was game over; Edinburgh didn't know the French Horn to be the instrument lampooned by Flanders and Swann in their classic 'Ill Wind'. Not that it mattered, as Mr Moon took the last starter of the game, and the side took one of the two bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Edinburgh won 165-90.
A good enough match I thought, even if a bit low scoring and slow in places. Unlucky Birkbeck, but a fair enough effort, thanks very much for playing. Well done Edinburgh though, and best of luck in the second round.
The stats: Mr McLauchlan was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Moon's four, while Mr Janmohamed was best for Birkbeck with three. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 14 out of 29 (with one penalty), while Birkbeck managed 10 out of 15 (with two penalties).
No show next week, so we're back, I'd guess, on September the 2nd, and an anonymous source tells me Only Connect may be back with it! Still haven't totally decided if I'm going to do full blogs on that this series, I'll keep you posted.
Edinburgh University was founded in 1582, making it the fourth university in Scotland at a time when only Oxford and Cambridge existed down south. Alumni include quite a lot of writers, including AC Doyle, RL Stephenson and JM Barrie, quite a lot of politicians, including former PM Gordon Brown, my Dad and quite a lot of my friends. Last series, of course, they won the series, winning a good contest against St Edmund Hall. This year's foursome were:
Richard Moon, from North London, studying Classics
Adam McLauchlan, from Edinburgh, studying Chemistry
Captain: Emma Williams, from Brighton, studying Linguistics
Isaac Stevens, from Sutton Coldfield, studying German and History
Birkbeck is a college of the University of London specialising in higher education, mainly operating in the evening to allow for students to hold down jobs too. Alumni include the first Labour PM Ramsay McDonald, current Labour bigwig John McDonnell, TS Eliot and hotel stayer Bear Grylls. Having regularly appeared in the early days of the BBC era, tonight's team was its first since its series win in 2002-03; they were:
Rob Anderson, from Geneva, studying Cognition and Computation
Rosemary Barnett, from Buckinghamshire, studying Historical Research
Captain: Nooruddean Janmohamed, from London, studying Medieval History
Ian Kernohan, from County Antrim, studying History of Art and Architecture
Off we set again then, and Mr Moon was first in to start the game with 'The Leaning Tower of Pisa'; the reigning champs took two of their opening bonuses. Mr Anderson opened Birkbeck's account with 'Dip', and they matched Edinburgh's tally with two bonuses on US presidents. The Scots side duly retook the lead with Mr McLauchlan offering 'heartburn', and took just the one bonus on mnemonics (or 'pneumonics' as Paxo called them!). A repeat performance followed as Mr McLauchlan took another starter and another sole bonus followed. The first picture round, on musical notes, went to Edinburgh, who took a pair of bonuses, taking their lead to 70-20.
It increased as Mr Anderson lost five after making the understandable mistake of thinking Elvis Presley was born in Memphis; Edinburgh couldn't capitalise. Edinburgh returned the favour by dropping five on a last millisecond interruption, and Birkbeck did pick up the points this time; bonuses on elements discovered in Switzerland gave them one bonus. I guessed Solihull for the next starter asking after a borough between Birmingham and Coventry; Mr Stevens did so too, and we were both right. Edinburgh duly took a full bonus set on Anglo Saxon kingdoms. Mr Janmohamed kept his side in the game by taking the next starter; bonuses on Irish philosophers gave them two correct answers.
The music round, on acts notably critiqued by music critic Ellen Willis, went to Edinburgh, who took one bonus, taking their lead to 105-50. Back came Birkbeck though, with Mr Janmohamed offering 'curlew', and a full set of bonuses on gardening took them right back into procedings. Mr Moon duly increased Edinburgh's lead though with 'willow', but a bonus set on the 1956 Olympics didn't give the Scots side any further points. Poetry about railways proved more to their liking on their next set, just the one bonus, and another saw them mistake their alumnus RL Stephenson for WT McGonagall, something Paxo suggested the former's aficionados might not find very funny!
The second picture starter, on allegorical paintings depicting the three stages of life, went to Edinburgh, who took two bonuses, which took their lead to 150-75. Birkbeck would need to run the show from now on to stand a chance of catching up; Mr Kernohan duly came in with 'Simon Sebag Montefiore', and two bonuses just about kept them in the game.
But when Mr Kernohan duly got beaten by a swerve on the next question and lost five, that was game over; Edinburgh didn't know the French Horn to be the instrument lampooned by Flanders and Swann in their classic 'Ill Wind'. Not that it mattered, as Mr Moon took the last starter of the game, and the side took one of the two bonuses there was time for. At the gong, Edinburgh won 165-90.
A good enough match I thought, even if a bit low scoring and slow in places. Unlucky Birkbeck, but a fair enough effort, thanks very much for playing. Well done Edinburgh though, and best of luck in the second round.
The stats: Mr McLauchlan was the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Moon's four, while Mr Janmohamed was best for Birkbeck with three. On the bonuses, Edinburgh converted 14 out of 29 (with one penalty), while Birkbeck managed 10 out of 15 (with two penalties).
No show next week, so we're back, I'd guess, on September the 2nd, and an anonymous source tells me Only Connect may be back with it! Still haven't totally decided if I'm going to do full blogs on that this series, I'll keep you posted.
Monday, 12 August 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 5: Wolfson vs St John's
Evening all. And after last week, can we please try and keep the strong language to a minimum please? A second Oxbridge match in this still young series, and two teams whose last appearance before tonight was as series runners-up, despite both having been tipped by many to triumph. Winners tonight would go through to the second round, as would the runners-up if their score was good enough.
Wolfson College Cambridge is one of the university's newer colleges, founded 1965; its short list of noted alumni include Hong Kong chief exec Carrie Lam, Tory peer Andrew Tyrie, and the legend that is Eric Monkman, who captained them in that afore-mentioned run to the final three series ago. Their only other BBC appearance besides that was a first round exit in 2003-04. This year's foursome were:
Tom Greig, from Leeds, studying English
Erin Spike, from Sydney, studying Public Health
Captain: Ryan Rhys Griffiths, from Kilkenny in Ireland, studying Physics and Machine Learning
Tommy Lee, from Norwich, studying Classics
St John's College Oxford is a lot older, established in 1555, and, like it's Cambridge namesake once was, is now the university's richest college; it's longer list of alumni include former PM Tony Blair, BBC stalwart Evan Davis and noted quiz host Victoria Coren Mitchell. It is something of a nearly-institution as far as UC is concerned, finishing runners-up three times under Paxo, most recently in 2015-16. This year's quartet were:
Sam Burns, from London, studying History
Isabella Morris, from London, studying English Language and Literature
Captain: Ashley Leeks, from London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Aaron Soor, from London, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Burns won the buzzer race to say 'Michelle Obama' as soon as Paxo said the trigger word 'Becoming'; a solitary bonus from the opening set followed. A penalty from St John's allowed Wolfson to get off the mark, Mr Lee correctly offering 'Spurs' just before the inevitable football clue came; alas, the Cambridge side got nothing from their first bonus set. Mr Leeks atoned for his earlier error and gave St John's their lead back, again, though, just one bonus followed. The first picture round, on island nations with a large amount of shipping traffic, went to Wolfson, who, again, took just a sole bonus, which put the sides level on 25-each.
Not for long though, as Mr Greig was penalised for buzzing wrongly just as Paxo was finishing the question; St John's couldn't capitalise. Another penalty cost Wolfson another five, and, again, St John's failed to pick up. Mr Soor correctly offered 'Iran' for the next starter though, and they took full advantage with a full bonus set on Rococo architecture. Mr Burns increased the advantage further, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on words differing in the addition of 'VI' at the start; two were taken.
The music starter was, much to Paxo's disgust(!), dropped by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces commonly played at weddings, eventually went to St John's (despite them dropping five on a prior replacement starter that Wolfson didn't get either). None of the bonuses were taken, and more grumbling from the host followed as they mistook Bach for Britten! ("You barbarians!") St John's nonetheless led 75-15, but the lead decreased slightly as they lost another five; Wolfson couldn't capitalise again, succeeding only in making Paxo hit the roof again by suggesting Robert the Bruce fought against the invading Romans! Wolfson did get back into the game on the next starter though thanks to Mr Lee, but just the one bonus followed again. Back came St John's thanks to Mr Burns again, and, again, just the one bonus followed from a set on physics. Another two starters was dropped, though Mr Griffiths was unlucky with one to come up with half the answer, but not the other. Mr Leeks finally got one right, and bonuses on 20th century French women named Simone gave them one correct answer to take them into double figures.
The second picture round, on paintings rejected by the Salon but later part of its 'des Refuses' exhibition, went to Wolfson; no correct bonuses followed though, leaving them trailing 100-40 with very little time left to pull back.
Neither side knew 'solitary' to be the last adjective in Milton's 'Paradise Lost'; another very complex starter about monarchs and chemical elements also escaped both teams. Mr Soor took the next starter for St John's, pretty much wrapping up the win, and, once again, just the one bonus followed. And that was the gong; St John's won 115-40.
Well, it was an entertaining game, I'll give it that, credit to both teams for that, but, alas, I must report it as the lowest scoring game of the BBC era thus far, eclipsing the record set back in the 2004-05 second round. Unlucky Wolfson, but thanks very much for playing. Well done St John's though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Burns was the best buzzer of the night with four starters, while Ms Spike and Mr Lee both got two each for Wolfson. On the bonuses, Wolfson managed just 2 out of 12 (with two penalties), while St John's managed 10 out of 24 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: Edinburgh vs Birkbeck of London, back for the first time since their series victory in 2002-03
Wolfson College Cambridge is one of the university's newer colleges, founded 1965; its short list of noted alumni include Hong Kong chief exec Carrie Lam, Tory peer Andrew Tyrie, and the legend that is Eric Monkman, who captained them in that afore-mentioned run to the final three series ago. Their only other BBC appearance besides that was a first round exit in 2003-04. This year's foursome were:
Tom Greig, from Leeds, studying English
Erin Spike, from Sydney, studying Public Health
Captain: Ryan Rhys Griffiths, from Kilkenny in Ireland, studying Physics and Machine Learning
Tommy Lee, from Norwich, studying Classics
St John's College Oxford is a lot older, established in 1555, and, like it's Cambridge namesake once was, is now the university's richest college; it's longer list of alumni include former PM Tony Blair, BBC stalwart Evan Davis and noted quiz host Victoria Coren Mitchell. It is something of a nearly-institution as far as UC is concerned, finishing runners-up three times under Paxo, most recently in 2015-16. This year's quartet were:
Sam Burns, from London, studying History
Isabella Morris, from London, studying English Language and Literature
Captain: Ashley Leeks, from London, studying Evolutionary Biology
Aaron Soor, from London, studying Maths
Off we set again then, and Mr Burns won the buzzer race to say 'Michelle Obama' as soon as Paxo said the trigger word 'Becoming'; a solitary bonus from the opening set followed. A penalty from St John's allowed Wolfson to get off the mark, Mr Lee correctly offering 'Spurs' just before the inevitable football clue came; alas, the Cambridge side got nothing from their first bonus set. Mr Leeks atoned for his earlier error and gave St John's their lead back, again, though, just one bonus followed. The first picture round, on island nations with a large amount of shipping traffic, went to Wolfson, who, again, took just a sole bonus, which put the sides level on 25-each.
Not for long though, as Mr Greig was penalised for buzzing wrongly just as Paxo was finishing the question; St John's couldn't capitalise. Another penalty cost Wolfson another five, and, again, St John's failed to pick up. Mr Soor correctly offered 'Iran' for the next starter though, and they took full advantage with a full bonus set on Rococo architecture. Mr Burns increased the advantage further, giving his side a classic UC bonus set on words differing in the addition of 'VI' at the start; two were taken.
The music starter was, much to Paxo's disgust(!), dropped by both sides; the bonuses, on classical pieces commonly played at weddings, eventually went to St John's (despite them dropping five on a prior replacement starter that Wolfson didn't get either). None of the bonuses were taken, and more grumbling from the host followed as they mistook Bach for Britten! ("You barbarians!") St John's nonetheless led 75-15, but the lead decreased slightly as they lost another five; Wolfson couldn't capitalise again, succeeding only in making Paxo hit the roof again by suggesting Robert the Bruce fought against the invading Romans! Wolfson did get back into the game on the next starter though thanks to Mr Lee, but just the one bonus followed again. Back came St John's thanks to Mr Burns again, and, again, just the one bonus followed from a set on physics. Another two starters was dropped, though Mr Griffiths was unlucky with one to come up with half the answer, but not the other. Mr Leeks finally got one right, and bonuses on 20th century French women named Simone gave them one correct answer to take them into double figures.
The second picture round, on paintings rejected by the Salon but later part of its 'des Refuses' exhibition, went to Wolfson; no correct bonuses followed though, leaving them trailing 100-40 with very little time left to pull back.
Neither side knew 'solitary' to be the last adjective in Milton's 'Paradise Lost'; another very complex starter about monarchs and chemical elements also escaped both teams. Mr Soor took the next starter for St John's, pretty much wrapping up the win, and, once again, just the one bonus followed. And that was the gong; St John's won 115-40.
Well, it was an entertaining game, I'll give it that, credit to both teams for that, but, alas, I must report it as the lowest scoring game of the BBC era thus far, eclipsing the record set back in the 2004-05 second round. Unlucky Wolfson, but thanks very much for playing. Well done St John's though, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Burns was the best buzzer of the night with four starters, while Ms Spike and Mr Lee both got two each for Wolfson. On the bonuses, Wolfson managed just 2 out of 12 (with two penalties), while St John's managed 10 out of 24 (with three penalties).
Next week's match: Edinburgh vs Birkbeck of London, back for the first time since their series victory in 2002-03
Monday, 5 August 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 4: Birmingham vs Bristol
Evening all. So, for the first time in a few years, we're not having a week off on the first Monday of August, so here we are with the fourth match of the series, and a classic tie between two instituitions of a similar age and reputation. Winners tonight would go through to the second round, as would the runners-up if they scored high enough.
Birmingham University is a red brick founded in its current form in 1900, having been around in some form since 1825. Alumni include the late great Victoria Wood, actor and comedian Chris Addison, and fellow quiz blogger Iain Weaver. It last sent a team three series ago, who reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Balliol. This year's foursome were:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Bristol University came into being in 1909, having also been around in various other forms beforehand. Alumni include physicist Paul Dirac, comedy personalities Matt Lucas and David Walliums, and author David Nicholls, author of 'Starter for Ten', the famous novel based on a quiz of some sort. It has sent a team to UC for the last six series unless I'm mistaken; last year's lost to eventual winners Edinburgh in the quarters. This year's quartet were:
Ben Allen, from South Buckinghamshire, studying Aerospace Engineering
Dan Hawkins, from Locks Heath in Hampshire, studying Geology
Captain: Laura Denton, from Winchester, studying Geology and Biology
Ben Joynson, from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and Mr Allen took the first starter of the night by identifying the forthcoming sequel to the Handmaid's Tale; just the one bonus came from the first set. Birmingham followed them off the mark thanks to Mr Sculfor, and they fared rather better, taking a full set of their first bonuses. Bristol drew level on the next starter though, and took the lead with two bonuses from a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing in the replacing of a U with an E. Another starter to Bristol, and a full set of bonuses went with it, suddenly giving them a strong early lead. The first picture round, on electron dot diagrams of the structures of chemical compounds, went to Bristol, who took two bonuses, increasing their lead to 80-25.
Mr Allen was unfortunate to drop five on the next starter; he heard "Introduced by the English Football League in January 2018...", and shot straight in with 'VAR'. Alas, the question was actually about the Rooney Rule; Birmingham didn't know that, but Mr Milone took the next starter for them, and they took one bonus on fictional hotels. Mr Sculfor then gave them a second starter in a row, and they took two bonuses from the resulting set this time. It was then their turn to drop five though, but, likewise, Bristol didn't pick up. Mr Hawkins took the next starter for them though, and they took a sole bonus on women's sporting achievements, missing another due to not knowing Tracey Neville's forename. (Quoth the Paxman, "Shame on you!")
The music round, on classical pieces used in the films of Wes Anderson, went to Birmingham; no bonuses came though, so they trailed 90-65. The gap narrowed though as Mr Sculfor took the next starter, and bonuses on December 10th gave them two bonuses to pull within five. Then nothing, as Bristol lost five on the next starter, and Mr Milone picked up the drop, giving them the lead; two bonuses followed. Back came Bristol on the next starter though, and two bonuses on rock bands gave them back the lead.
The second picture round, on children's laureates, went to Bristol, who quickly snapped up all three bonuses, which increased their advantage to 130-100. Still either team's game though, and Mr Sculfor kept his side in the game with 'hyperbolic geometry'; a complex bonus set on chemical formulae saw them take a very impressive full set to close the gap to five.
Again, a Bristol penalty put the sides level again, but Birmingham failed to take the lead with the next starter. The next starter asked for a Dickens novel without a character's name in the title; neither team guessed the right one, The Old Curiosity Shop. Then came a crucial moment, as, asked for the year which saw, among other events, Churchill's Iron Curtain speech occurred, Mr Allen was 'ONE YEAR OUT!', and lost another five to boot, giving Birmingham the lead. Another starter was dropped before one finally came up that Mr Sculfor knew... but the gong went before he could give the answer! Not that it mattered, Birmingham won 125-120.
A low scoring match, but a very close one between two reasonable enough teams. Unlucky Bristol, just pipped right at the death, and whose score I don't think will be quite enough for the play-offs, but thanks for playing. Well done Birmingham though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to Mr Hawkins' three. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 12 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Bristol managed 14 out of 21 (with an ultimately costly four penalties), that's how close and even it was.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Cambridge vs St John's College Oxford
Birmingham University is a red brick founded in its current form in 1900, having been around in some form since 1825. Alumni include the late great Victoria Wood, actor and comedian Chris Addison, and fellow quiz blogger Iain Weaver. It last sent a team three series ago, who reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Balliol. This year's foursome were:
Alex Milone, from Brockenhurst in Hampshire, studying Medicine
Izzy Lewis, from Monmouth, studying Physics
Captain: Zoe Bleything, from Thornbury in Gloucestershire, studying Medicine
Ben Sculfor, from Aylesbury, studying Maths
Bristol University came into being in 1909, having also been around in various other forms beforehand. Alumni include physicist Paul Dirac, comedy personalities Matt Lucas and David Walliums, and author David Nicholls, author of 'Starter for Ten', the famous novel based on a quiz of some sort. It has sent a team to UC for the last six series unless I'm mistaken; last year's lost to eventual winners Edinburgh in the quarters. This year's quartet were:
Ben Allen, from South Buckinghamshire, studying Aerospace Engineering
Dan Hawkins, from Locks Heath in Hampshire, studying Geology
Captain: Laura Denton, from Winchester, studying Geology and Biology
Ben Joynson, from Nailsworth in Gloucestershire, studying Chemistry
Off we set again then, and Mr Allen took the first starter of the night by identifying the forthcoming sequel to the Handmaid's Tale; just the one bonus came from the first set. Birmingham followed them off the mark thanks to Mr Sculfor, and they fared rather better, taking a full set of their first bonuses. Bristol drew level on the next starter though, and took the lead with two bonuses from a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing in the replacing of a U with an E. Another starter to Bristol, and a full set of bonuses went with it, suddenly giving them a strong early lead. The first picture round, on electron dot diagrams of the structures of chemical compounds, went to Bristol, who took two bonuses, increasing their lead to 80-25.
Mr Allen was unfortunate to drop five on the next starter; he heard "Introduced by the English Football League in January 2018...", and shot straight in with 'VAR'. Alas, the question was actually about the Rooney Rule; Birmingham didn't know that, but Mr Milone took the next starter for them, and they took one bonus on fictional hotels. Mr Sculfor then gave them a second starter in a row, and they took two bonuses from the resulting set this time. It was then their turn to drop five though, but, likewise, Bristol didn't pick up. Mr Hawkins took the next starter for them though, and they took a sole bonus on women's sporting achievements, missing another due to not knowing Tracey Neville's forename. (Quoth the Paxman, "Shame on you!")
The music round, on classical pieces used in the films of Wes Anderson, went to Birmingham; no bonuses came though, so they trailed 90-65. The gap narrowed though as Mr Sculfor took the next starter, and bonuses on December 10th gave them two bonuses to pull within five. Then nothing, as Bristol lost five on the next starter, and Mr Milone picked up the drop, giving them the lead; two bonuses followed. Back came Bristol on the next starter though, and two bonuses on rock bands gave them back the lead.
The second picture round, on children's laureates, went to Bristol, who quickly snapped up all three bonuses, which increased their advantage to 130-100. Still either team's game though, and Mr Sculfor kept his side in the game with 'hyperbolic geometry'; a complex bonus set on chemical formulae saw them take a very impressive full set to close the gap to five.
Again, a Bristol penalty put the sides level again, but Birmingham failed to take the lead with the next starter. The next starter asked for a Dickens novel without a character's name in the title; neither team guessed the right one, The Old Curiosity Shop. Then came a crucial moment, as, asked for the year which saw, among other events, Churchill's Iron Curtain speech occurred, Mr Allen was 'ONE YEAR OUT!', and lost another five to boot, giving Birmingham the lead. Another starter was dropped before one finally came up that Mr Sculfor knew... but the gong went before he could give the answer! Not that it mattered, Birmingham won 125-120.
A low scoring match, but a very close one between two reasonable enough teams. Unlucky Bristol, just pipped right at the death, and whose score I don't think will be quite enough for the play-offs, but thanks for playing. Well done Birmingham though, and very best of luck in the next round!
The stats: Mr Sculfor was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with four starters to Mr Hawkins' three. On the bonuses, Birmingham converted 12 out of 21 (with one penalty), while Bristol managed 14 out of 21 (with an ultimately costly four penalties), that's how close and even it was.
Next week's match: Wolfson College Cambridge vs St John's College Oxford
Monday, 29 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 3: Magdalen vs York
Evening all. Well, it's been a hot week here, and it still hasn't totally cooled down; even though it's a lot better outside, my flat is still very warm from all the built up heat. On with the show then, and a rerun of the 2010-11 final, except with the teams sitting on opposite desks. A place in the second round for the winners, a possible place in the play-offs for the runners-up.
Magdalen College Oxford was founded in 1458, and its alumni include Oscar Wilde and John Betjeman, and more recently John Sergeant and Ian Hislop. It''s UC record in the Paxo era is pretty solid, with a record four grand final victories (wording deliberate) and one grand final defeat, plus an Xmas series win. Hoping to carry on that success were this year's foursome of:
Dominic Brind, from London, studying History
Josie Dallas, from London, studying PPE
Captain: Alex Hardwick, from Wimbledon, studying Ancient Greek Crowd Psychology
Harry Strattan, from Sydney, studying Law
The University of York is a plate glass university, founded in 1962, although James I/VI had the idea for it many years earlier; its alumni include writers Helen Dunmore and Graeme Swift, politician Harriet Harman and comedian Harry Enfield. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, last year's team were unlucky to draw eventual runners-up St Edmund Hall in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Off we set again then, and York set off the mark first with Ms Williams doing the honours, and two correct answers set things going for the night. Mr Hardwick started Magdalen's campaign by remembering the utter stalemate in last year's Chess World Championship final; the Oxonians took the lead with a full house of bonuses, but then surrendered that lead to a penalty. Mr Conn took the points for York, and they too took a full set on bonuses, on video games released 25 years ago this year (something tells me we'll get quite a few 1994 questions this series). Mr Conn took a second starter in a row, but the Yorkers managed just one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on blackout poetry, went to Magdalen, who took two correct bonuses, which cut their arrears to 60-40.
Those arrears reincreased when Mr Bring became the first player this series to buzz wrongly literally just as the question was finishing and lose five; York couldn't capitalise. Mr Hardwick recouped those losses on the next starter however, and a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing only by adding a J at the start gave the Oxonians a full set. They then took the lead on the next starter, and a second successive full set went with it. Back came York though, with Mr Eastham correctly offering 'Dodo', and they too took a full set of bonuses, leveling the scores again. Good high quality contest so far.
The music round, on classical works played on the synthesizer, went to Magdalen, who took two correct answers, which gave them a lead of 105-85. And up it went as Ms Dallas took the next starter and one bonus on dwarf planets followed. Mr Brind then made sure all four Oxonians had a starter correctly answered, and this time two correct bonuses on Roman roads followed. A good starter asked for the probability of landing on a station on the first move in Monopoly; Mr Eastham was first in with the correct answer, and two bonuses took the Yorkers into triple figures.
The second picture round, on stills from anthology TV series, went to York, who took a full house, which reduced their gap to 140-125. Unless someone ran away from here on in, we were in for a close finish. A dropped starter wasn't a great starter, but Mr Eastham took the next starter, and bonuses on women born the same year as Queen Victoria followed, of which they took just the one bonus, leveling the scores.
So, a straight shootout to the death; Mr Hardwick blinked first and took the next starter, and bonuses on reptiles followed, of which Magdalen took just the one correct. But when Mr Stratton took the next starter, even though, again, just one bonus followed, you suspected that might just have won it for them. So it proved; though Mr Eastham took the final starter, there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Magdalen won 170-150.
A good contest between two solid and evenly matched teams, well done both of them and good on them clapping each other at the end. Unlucky York, but a fine performance, and 150 I would imagine will be enough for the play-offs (it hasn't not been enough for a while now IIRC), so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Magdalen though, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Hardwick was, just the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Eastham's four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), while York managed 14 out of 21.
Next week's match: Birmingham vs Bristol
Magdalen College Oxford was founded in 1458, and its alumni include Oscar Wilde and John Betjeman, and more recently John Sergeant and Ian Hislop. It''s UC record in the Paxo era is pretty solid, with a record four grand final victories (wording deliberate) and one grand final defeat, plus an Xmas series win. Hoping to carry on that success were this year's foursome of:
Dominic Brind, from London, studying History
Josie Dallas, from London, studying PPE
Captain: Alex Hardwick, from Wimbledon, studying Ancient Greek Crowd Psychology
Harry Strattan, from Sydney, studying Law
The University of York is a plate glass university, founded in 1962, although James I/VI had the idea for it many years earlier; its alumni include writers Helen Dunmore and Graeme Swift, politician Harriet Harman and comedian Harry Enfield. It has regularly sent teams to UC this century, last year's team were unlucky to draw eventual runners-up St Edmund Hall in the first round. This year's quartet were:
Mickey Conn, from Godalming, studying Social Policy
Sophie Williams, from Telford, studying Medieval Studies
Captain: Sam McEwan, from Sevenoaks, studying History and Philosophy
David Eastham, from Lancaster, studying Archaeology
Off we set again then, and York set off the mark first with Ms Williams doing the honours, and two correct answers set things going for the night. Mr Hardwick started Magdalen's campaign by remembering the utter stalemate in last year's Chess World Championship final; the Oxonians took the lead with a full house of bonuses, but then surrendered that lead to a penalty. Mr Conn took the points for York, and they too took a full set on bonuses, on video games released 25 years ago this year (something tells me we'll get quite a few 1994 questions this series). Mr Conn took a second starter in a row, but the Yorkers managed just one correct bonus this time. The first picture round, on blackout poetry, went to Magdalen, who took two correct bonuses, which cut their arrears to 60-40.
Those arrears reincreased when Mr Bring became the first player this series to buzz wrongly literally just as the question was finishing and lose five; York couldn't capitalise. Mr Hardwick recouped those losses on the next starter however, and a classic UC bonus set on pairs of words differing only by adding a J at the start gave the Oxonians a full set. They then took the lead on the next starter, and a second successive full set went with it. Back came York though, with Mr Eastham correctly offering 'Dodo', and they too took a full set of bonuses, leveling the scores again. Good high quality contest so far.
The music round, on classical works played on the synthesizer, went to Magdalen, who took two correct answers, which gave them a lead of 105-85. And up it went as Ms Dallas took the next starter and one bonus on dwarf planets followed. Mr Brind then made sure all four Oxonians had a starter correctly answered, and this time two correct bonuses on Roman roads followed. A good starter asked for the probability of landing on a station on the first move in Monopoly; Mr Eastham was first in with the correct answer, and two bonuses took the Yorkers into triple figures.
The second picture round, on stills from anthology TV series, went to York, who took a full house, which reduced their gap to 140-125. Unless someone ran away from here on in, we were in for a close finish. A dropped starter wasn't a great starter, but Mr Eastham took the next starter, and bonuses on women born the same year as Queen Victoria followed, of which they took just the one bonus, leveling the scores.
So, a straight shootout to the death; Mr Hardwick blinked first and took the next starter, and bonuses on reptiles followed, of which Magdalen took just the one correct. But when Mr Stratton took the next starter, even though, again, just one bonus followed, you suspected that might just have won it for them. So it proved; though Mr Eastham took the final starter, there was no time for bonuses. At the gong, Magdalen won 170-150.
A good contest between two solid and evenly matched teams, well done both of them and good on them clapping each other at the end. Unlucky York, but a fine performance, and 150 I would imagine will be enough for the play-offs (it hasn't not been enough for a while now IIRC), so hopefully we'll see you again. Well done Magdalen though, and very best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Hardwick was, just the best buzzer of the night, with five starters to Mr Eastham's four. On the bonuses, Magdalen converted 18 out of 27 (with two penalties), while York managed 14 out of 21.
Next week's match: Birmingham vs Bristol
Monday, 22 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 2: Corpus Christi vs Merton
Evening all. So last night, I decided on a whim to look on YouTube for an old quiz show I used to like called 'Beg, Borrow or Steal' (used to be on BBC2 after The Weakest Link); unexpectedly, I found one, and who was on it, but Only Connect stalwart Katie Bramall-Stainer! Won't give any spoilers in case you decide to look it up yourself, and I'd recommend you do; it was a good quiz that deserved better than to be cancelled after one series. Anyway, on with tonight's UC, and the first Oxbridge match of the series...
Corpus Christi College Cambridge was founded in 1352 to train new clergymen to replace those who killed in the Black Death; alumni include the playwright Marlowe, the writer Christopher Isherwood and the actor Hugh Bonneville. It last sent a team to UC two series ago, who were unlucky to draw eventual winners St John's in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Trafford in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Merton College Oxford is one of the universtiy's oldest, founded 1264; its alumni include the writers TS Eliot and JRR Tolkein, the library founded Thomas Bodley and the politician and cheese fanatic Liz Truss. It also last appeared two series ago, and were also beaten by St John's, though they made it as far as the final before running into them. This year's quartet were:
James Kempton, from Orpington, studying the attack strategies of birds of prey, with applications to designing defensive drone technology
Rowan Wilson, from London, studying English
Captain: Nick Ridpath, from Golders Green, studying Economics
Jacob Robertson, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Robertson opened the game with 'Mercury', but just the one bonus was taken from the opening set. Corpus Christi didn't exactly get off to a great start, a penalty, but they soon recouped the lost points, and tied the score with two bonuses on director Ava DuVernay. Mr Wang (brother of Dennis Wang of the 16-17 Worcester Oxford team) gave his side the lead with 'Taiwan', and a full house of bonuses gave them a steady early advantage. The first picture round, on the titles of Beatles songs written in Old English, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct answers, which increased their lead to 60-15.
Mr Ridpath decided that was enough of that for now, and buzzed in to identify Anya Shrubsole as the first woman to be on the cover of Wisden. A full bonus set put them well back into the game. Another penalty from Corpus Christi, a pickup from Merton, another full house, and suddenly the Oxford side had the lead. And they weren't holding up, Mr Robertson giving them a third in a row, and a bonus set on video games given a perfect rating by Famitsu magazine provided another two correct answers. Back came Corpus Christi, with Mr Wang identifying James Comey as the FBI director hired by Mr Obama and fired by Mr Trump (though Paxo didn't get that far before he was interrupted); one bonus followed.
The music round, on jazz standards, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct bonuses; their mistaking of Ian Hislop lookalike Jimmy Somerville for Sade did not go uncommented on on Twitter! (Mr Somerville's old mate Rev Richard Coles was among those laughing at it!) The Cambridge side now led 90-85, and that lead increased when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter; the subsequent bonuses saw them acquire a further five points. Back came Merton with Mr Kempton doing the honours, and one bonus put them five behind. Mr Robertson then gave them the lead back with 'John Betjeman', and the weekly Shakespeare bonuses gave them a full set.
The second picture round, on selections of stills from film adaptations of novels by the same author, went to Corpus Christi, who took a full bonus set and the lead back, 130-125. Neither side knew Grace Kelly for the next starter (I guessed correctly), Mr Wang took the next, and the side quickly hurried through the resulting bonuses, taking all three and giving them the advantage heading into the home straight.
A Merton penalty put the Cambridge side within sight of victory, but they couldn't pick up. The Oxonians duly pulled one back, and took a full set of their own to keep themselves in the game. But another penalty handed Corpus Christi the advantage again, though they, again, couldn't capitalise. But Mr Stewart then took the next starter; just the one bonus followed, but when Mr Gunasekera took the next, that was game over. A sole bonus was taken again, as was one final starter before the gong; Corpus Christi won 195-140.
A good solid contest, well played both teams. Unlucky Merton, but a good effort, and hopefully 140 will be enough for a play-off place, we'll wait and see. Well played Corpus Christi though, a fine first effort against good opponents, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Wang, Gunasekera and Robertson were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Corpus Christi converted 19 out of 30, while Merton managed 16 out of 21 (with both sides incurring two penalties).
Next week's match: Magdalen College Oxford vs York
Corpus Christi College Cambridge was founded in 1352 to train new clergymen to replace those who killed in the Black Death; alumni include the playwright Marlowe, the writer Christopher Isherwood and the actor Hugh Bonneville. It last sent a team to UC two series ago, who were unlucky to draw eventual winners St John's in the second round. This year's foursome were:
Alexander Russell, from Bristol, studying Japanese Studies
Will Stewart, from Peterborough, studying History of Art
Captain: Ian Wang, from Trafford in Greater Manchester, studying English
Alex Gunasekera, from from Witney, studying Chemistry
Merton College Oxford is one of the universtiy's oldest, founded 1264; its alumni include the writers TS Eliot and JRR Tolkein, the library founded Thomas Bodley and the politician and cheese fanatic Liz Truss. It also last appeared two series ago, and were also beaten by St John's, though they made it as far as the final before running into them. This year's quartet were:
James Kempton, from Orpington, studying the attack strategies of birds of prey, with applications to designing defensive drone technology
Rowan Wilson, from London, studying English
Captain: Nick Ridpath, from Golders Green, studying Economics
Jacob Robertson, from Kingston-upon-Thames, studying Physics
Off we set again then, and Mr Robertson opened the game with 'Mercury', but just the one bonus was taken from the opening set. Corpus Christi didn't exactly get off to a great start, a penalty, but they soon recouped the lost points, and tied the score with two bonuses on director Ava DuVernay. Mr Wang (brother of Dennis Wang of the 16-17 Worcester Oxford team) gave his side the lead with 'Taiwan', and a full house of bonuses gave them a steady early advantage. The first picture round, on the titles of Beatles songs written in Old English, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct answers, which increased their lead to 60-15.
Mr Ridpath decided that was enough of that for now, and buzzed in to identify Anya Shrubsole as the first woman to be on the cover of Wisden. A full bonus set put them well back into the game. Another penalty from Corpus Christi, a pickup from Merton, another full house, and suddenly the Oxford side had the lead. And they weren't holding up, Mr Robertson giving them a third in a row, and a bonus set on video games given a perfect rating by Famitsu magazine provided another two correct answers. Back came Corpus Christi, with Mr Wang identifying James Comey as the FBI director hired by Mr Obama and fired by Mr Trump (though Paxo didn't get that far before he was interrupted); one bonus followed.
The music round, on jazz standards, went to Corpus Christi, who took two correct bonuses; their mistaking of Ian Hislop lookalike Jimmy Somerville for Sade did not go uncommented on on Twitter! (Mr Somerville's old mate Rev Richard Coles was among those laughing at it!) The Cambridge side now led 90-85, and that lead increased when Mr Gunasekera took the next starter; the subsequent bonuses saw them acquire a further five points. Back came Merton with Mr Kempton doing the honours, and one bonus put them five behind. Mr Robertson then gave them the lead back with 'John Betjeman', and the weekly Shakespeare bonuses gave them a full set.
The second picture round, on selections of stills from film adaptations of novels by the same author, went to Corpus Christi, who took a full bonus set and the lead back, 130-125. Neither side knew Grace Kelly for the next starter (I guessed correctly), Mr Wang took the next, and the side quickly hurried through the resulting bonuses, taking all three and giving them the advantage heading into the home straight.
A Merton penalty put the Cambridge side within sight of victory, but they couldn't pick up. The Oxonians duly pulled one back, and took a full set of their own to keep themselves in the game. But another penalty handed Corpus Christi the advantage again, though they, again, couldn't capitalise. But Mr Stewart then took the next starter; just the one bonus followed, but when Mr Gunasekera took the next, that was game over. A sole bonus was taken again, as was one final starter before the gong; Corpus Christi won 195-140.
A good solid contest, well played both teams. Unlucky Merton, but a good effort, and hopefully 140 will be enough for a play-off place, we'll wait and see. Well played Corpus Christi though, a fine first effort against good opponents, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Messrs Wang, Gunasekera and Robertson were joint best buzzers of the night, with four each for their respective teams. On the bonuses, Corpus Christi converted 19 out of 30, while Merton managed 16 out of 21 (with both sides incurring two penalties).
Next week's match: Magdalen College Oxford vs York
Monday, 15 July 2019
University Challenge 2019-20: Round 1: Match 1: Lancaster vs Glasgow
Evening all. We're back! What's happened since I posted here last? Well, Mastermind was won by Judith Lewis, Andy Tucker became the latest Only Connect runner-up to win Fifteen-to-One 2.0, I've switched to a new laptop, and, just this afternoon, David Stainer won Brain of Britain, meaning all three of the Crossworders have won that show now! Most bizarrely of all, though, I went to watch Peterhead play at home and they won! (Hadn't happened in four prior visits!) Football talk on my other blog resumes shortly. In the meantime, on with the first heat of the EIGHTH(!) series I've covered on here...
Lancaster University is a plate glass uni founded in 1964, and its alumni include actor Andy Serkis, cyclist Jason Queally, TV presenter Ranvir Singh and motorhead James May. It last appeared on UC, back in the first series I covered on here, losing in the second round to St George's of London. This year's foursome were:
Stephen Ford, from Durham, studying Maths
Daniel Green, from Nottingham, studying Philosophy
Captain: Holly Lawton, studying French and German
Matt Roscoe, from Chester, studying Volcanology
Glasgow University is considerably older, the second oldest university in Scotland in fact, founded in 1451; its alumni include economist Adam Smith, TV pioneer John Logie Baird, Europhiles Nicola Sturgeon and Vince Cable, and, apparently, The Doctor (not 'Doctor Who', Paxo!). Last year, it reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Manchester. This year's quartet were:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyme, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Whitcombe provided the first starter of the series; as soon as 'creator of Family Guy' was mentioned, both he and myself jumped in with 'Seth'. Two bonuses from the first set of the series were taken. Mr McRobert took the second starter for his side, with the resulting bonuses providing Paxo's first exclamation of the series! One bonus was taken. Another starter to Glasgow, another two bonuses, and already they were looking a solid team; as if to further this, they took a fourth and a full house of bonuses on Wilfred Owen (I knew 'Dolce et Decorum est', having studied it in school, and watched a documentary about Owen by Paxo!) The first picture round, on places named after chemical elements, went to Glasgow, who took two bonuses, and already led 100-0.
Lancaster finally opened their account on the next starter, with Mr Ford correctly offering 'surd'; alas, nothing come from their first bonus set. Mr Whitworth resumed normal service for Glasgow, with a starter and a pair of bonuses adding to their score. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but the Scots side got nothing from a bonus set on the Louvre.
The music round, on classical pieces associated with flowing water, went to Lancaster, who took two correct bonuses, which reduced their arrears to 130-30. A second starter in a row went to Lancaster, and a bonus set on geometry provided them with a much needed full house. Back to Glasgow, with Ms McAllister ensuring all four of the team had a starter to their name; one bonus followed. The next starter was a classic pub quiz one: which animal indicates a zoo on a map (reminds me of one of my favourite wrong answers on The Weakest Link!); Mr Whitcombe and myself both knew it to be an elephant, but Glasgow got nothing from the bonuses. Mr Ford came back in for Lancaster with 'Kansas City' (nice crossover with Brain of Britain that), and a bonus set on volcanoes fell right into the lap to volcanologist Mr Roscoe, another full set.
The second picture round, on stills from films on the BFI's list of films one must be before you're 14, went to Glasgow, who took a full house of their own, which took the scores to 180-80. Still time for either team to mount a late run, and Lancaster showed they weren't out of contention for, at least, a play-off place yet as Mr Ford took his latest starter of the game; two bonuses deservedly took them into triple figures.
Mr Whitworth identified Ezra Pound's critique of Walt Whitman for the next starter, though, and two bonuses took Glasgow past 200; that was game over, and it was now a question of whether Lancaster could muster a late play-off charge. Two starters in a row were dropped, before Mr Ford incurred the first penalty of the series; Mr Whitworth took the points, and bonuses on Brazilian state capitals provided Glasgow with two correct answers. There was just time for one more starter to Glasgow before the gong went; Glasgow won 230-95.
An OK match to start the series, albeit surprisingly one-sided; usually they start the series with a close one. Unlucky Lancaster, who seemed a good team and I suspect would've beaten another team, but a fair effort, thanks for playing! Very well done Glasgow though, an excellent opening performance, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Whitworth was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with six starters to Mr Ford's five. On the bonuses, Lancaster converted 10 out of 15 (with the night's one penalty), while Glasgow managed 20 out of 36.
Next week's match: Corpus Christi College Cambridge vs Merton College Oxford
Lancaster University is a plate glass uni founded in 1964, and its alumni include actor Andy Serkis, cyclist Jason Queally, TV presenter Ranvir Singh and motorhead James May. It last appeared on UC, back in the first series I covered on here, losing in the second round to St George's of London. This year's foursome were:
Stephen Ford, from Durham, studying Maths
Daniel Green, from Nottingham, studying Philosophy
Captain: Holly Lawton, studying French and German
Matt Roscoe, from Chester, studying Volcanology
Glasgow University is considerably older, the second oldest university in Scotland in fact, founded in 1451; its alumni include economist Adam Smith, TV pioneer John Logie Baird, Europhiles Nicola Sturgeon and Vince Cable, and, apparently, The Doctor (not 'Doctor Who', Paxo!). Last year, it reached the quarter-finals before bowing out to Manchester. This year's quartet were:
Ben Whitcombe, from Northwich, studying History and Film & TV studies
Cat McAllister, from Glasgow, studying Physics Education
Captain: Finlay McRobert, from Aberdeen, studying Maths
Ben Whitworth, from Ashton-under-Lyme, studying Education
Off we set again then, and Mr Whitcombe provided the first starter of the series; as soon as 'creator of Family Guy' was mentioned, both he and myself jumped in with 'Seth'. Two bonuses from the first set of the series were taken. Mr McRobert took the second starter for his side, with the resulting bonuses providing Paxo's first exclamation of the series! One bonus was taken. Another starter to Glasgow, another two bonuses, and already they were looking a solid team; as if to further this, they took a fourth and a full house of bonuses on Wilfred Owen (I knew 'Dolce et Decorum est', having studied it in school, and watched a documentary about Owen by Paxo!) The first picture round, on places named after chemical elements, went to Glasgow, who took two bonuses, and already led 100-0.
Lancaster finally opened their account on the next starter, with Mr Ford correctly offering 'surd'; alas, nothing come from their first bonus set. Mr Whitworth resumed normal service for Glasgow, with a starter and a pair of bonuses adding to their score. A second starter in a row went to Mr Whitworth, but the Scots side got nothing from a bonus set on the Louvre.
The music round, on classical pieces associated with flowing water, went to Lancaster, who took two correct bonuses, which reduced their arrears to 130-30. A second starter in a row went to Lancaster, and a bonus set on geometry provided them with a much needed full house. Back to Glasgow, with Ms McAllister ensuring all four of the team had a starter to their name; one bonus followed. The next starter was a classic pub quiz one: which animal indicates a zoo on a map (reminds me of one of my favourite wrong answers on The Weakest Link!); Mr Whitcombe and myself both knew it to be an elephant, but Glasgow got nothing from the bonuses. Mr Ford came back in for Lancaster with 'Kansas City' (nice crossover with Brain of Britain that), and a bonus set on volcanoes fell right into the lap to volcanologist Mr Roscoe, another full set.
The second picture round, on stills from films on the BFI's list of films one must be before you're 14, went to Glasgow, who took a full house of their own, which took the scores to 180-80. Still time for either team to mount a late run, and Lancaster showed they weren't out of contention for, at least, a play-off place yet as Mr Ford took his latest starter of the game; two bonuses deservedly took them into triple figures.
Mr Whitworth identified Ezra Pound's critique of Walt Whitman for the next starter, though, and two bonuses took Glasgow past 200; that was game over, and it was now a question of whether Lancaster could muster a late play-off charge. Two starters in a row were dropped, before Mr Ford incurred the first penalty of the series; Mr Whitworth took the points, and bonuses on Brazilian state capitals provided Glasgow with two correct answers. There was just time for one more starter to Glasgow before the gong went; Glasgow won 230-95.
An OK match to start the series, albeit surprisingly one-sided; usually they start the series with a close one. Unlucky Lancaster, who seemed a good team and I suspect would've beaten another team, but a fair effort, thanks for playing! Very well done Glasgow though, an excellent opening performance, and best of luck in the second round!
The stats: Mr Whitworth was, just, the best buzzer of the night, with six starters to Mr Ford's five. On the bonuses, Lancaster converted 10 out of 15 (with the night's one penalty), while Glasgow managed 20 out of 36.
Next week's match: Corpus Christi College Cambridge vs Merton College Oxford
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